Pneumatic tire.



PATENTED MAR, 20, 1906.

R. A. HARRIS. PBEBUMATIG TIRE.

APPLICATION FILED 8591. 21. 1904.

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APPLIOATIOH Plum BEST. 24. 1904.

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PATENT orrion.

PNEUMATIC TlRE.

Application filed September 2 To all whom it nmy concern:

Be it known that 1, ROBERT A. Illinois, a citizen of the United States,residing at Tueson, in the county of Plum. end 'lerritory of Arizona,have invented new and useful improvements in Pneumatic Tires, of whichthe ollowing is s specification.

This invention relates to pneumatic tires.

' One object of the invention is to improve and simplify the means fordetachably holdin the tire in position upon the wheel-rim.

ith the foregoing and other minor objects in view, which will appear asthe description proceeds, the invention resides in o. Wheel having asupplemental rim formed with grooves, tire flanges having groovestherein registering with the grooves in the supplemental rim, a splitring in each pair of registering grooves, each split rin having lateralprojections on its end, cylindrical ole merits having cam-groovestherein to receive the lateral projections, and means for rotatin andlocking said cylindrical elements.

he invention also resides in a pneumatic tire having a circumferentialdepression in the center of its tread-surface whereby the portions ofthe tread -suriace on opposite sides of the depression, which have stendeney to wear through quickly, will be thickened to increase theirdurability.

Furthermore, the invention resides in the particular combination andarrangei-nent of parts and in the recise details of construc-Specifieation of Letters Patent.

Patented March 20, 1906.

4,1904. Serial No.225317.

of a wheel, which may be of an Y ordinary form and construction. Secureupon the rim 1 in any suitable manner, as by means of brackets 2, is esupplemental rim 3, said supplemental rim being formed with slots 4 atintervals to receive the extensions 5 of the brackets 2. Thesupplemental rim 3 is formed with a pair of rooves 6 7 and isthickcentcr, as shown at 9, to form the inclined feces it) 11. Mountedupon each of the inclined feces 10 11 of the supplemental rim is anangular tire-flange, such as 12 13. Each of the tire-flanges 12 13 isformed with a shoulder 14, which fits down over the outer edge of thesupplemental rim 3. Each enguler tire-flange 15 also formed with acircumferentisl groove 15, which when the tireilange is in ositionregisters with one of the grooves in t is supplemental rim 3 to form anannular chamber to receive a split ring, such as 16, the ends of eachsplit ring 16 being formed with lateral extensions 17, which fit intoCillll-glOOVGS 18 in a cylindrical element 19, as shown in Fig. 7, saidcylindrical element 19 being journaled in brackets 20, fastened to thewheel-rim 1. Each of the cylindrical elements 19 is provided with adetachable handle 21, as shown in Fig. 8.

It will be understood that by rotating the cylindrical elements 19 inone direction the ends oi the split rings 16 will be drawn totionhereinafter (escrihed and claimed as a practical embodiment of theinvention.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Fignre1 is a per spective View of a tire constructed in accordance with theinvention. Fig. 2 is a similar view of one of the tire-flanges. Fig. 3is a cross-section through the locking ring. Fig. 4 is a. longitudinalvertical section through the tire and wheel-rim. l i 5 is s plan view ofthe supplemental rim. lTig. 6 is a transverse section through thewhcel-rinr and tire. Fig. 7 is e. perspective view of one of the groovedcylindrical elements for locking the split rings. Fig. 8 is a similarview of the re movable handle of one of the grooved cylindricelelements.

Like reference -nu1nera.ls indicate corresaid split rings will be forcedapart. In applying one or both of the tire-flanges 12 13 as hereinafterdescribed the cylindrical elements 19 are rotated to draw together theends of the split rings 16, so that said rings will be contracted andcaused to lie in the grooves 6 7 of the supplemental rim 3. Thetire-flanges may then be fitted in position beneath the tire and held inplace y rotating the cylindrical elements in the opposite directionuntil the split rings i6 expand and by engaging the grooves of thetire-flanges and the grooves of the supplemental rim, as shown in Fig.1, hold said flanges securely in position. After the tire-flanges arelooked in place the handle 21 of each cylindrical element 19 may heremoved and each of said elements may spending parts in the differentviews.

The reference-numeral 1 indicates the rim i be locked against accidentalrotation by regime of a locking men; or 22, having a slot enedcircumferential y at its longitudinal.

gether and by rotating said cylindrical elements in the oppositedirection the ends of IOC 23, through which extends a pin 24. When thelockin member 22 is moved upwardly, its end fits into a suitable socketin the cylindrical element. It will be understood that the inclinedfaces 10 11 of the supplemental rim 3 facilita to the introduction ofthe angular tire-flanges 12 and 13 beneath the tire.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 6, the tire consists of an outer case27, whichis composed of a layer of rubber28, a layer of canvas or other fabric29, and an internal layer of rubber 30. The fabric layer 29 is thickenedat its lower end, as shown at 31, and the internal layer 30 is thickenedat its lower end by embedding therein a fabric, such as 32. Fittedbetween the meetin ends of the case 27 is a lockingring 34, sudh asshown in Fig. 3, said lockingring 34 compr sing an outer covering 35,having wings 36 to fit over the internal thickened portion of the case27, strengtheningwires 37, a fabric layer 38, an internal layer 39, andan air-chamber 40, which is supplied with air by a suitable valve, suchas 41, a similar valve 42, which extends throug said lockin -ring 34supplying air to the chamber 43 of t e outer case.

It will be noted that the locking-ring has inclined upper edges 48, aainst which the angular foot portion 49 of the inner layer or casing 30of the tire rests. The strengthening-wires 37, located between thefabric layer 38 and the outer covering 35 of the locking- Iing, formoffsets or projections around which the lower extended portion of thelayer 30 of the tire proper extends. By this arrangement of parts itwill be noted that inflation of the locking-rin will securely hold theinner layer 30 in p ace, and owing to the inclined portions, 48 and 49asealing of the joints between the lockin -ring and the inner layer 30occurs. The in ation of the locking-ring binds the wire 37 against thesurrounding portion of the layer 30 of the tire proper, securely lockingthe tire pro er in lace, which lock, it is evident, is who lywit- 1111the tire, and yet readily accessible to permit removal of the tire. Asthe enlar ed angular foot of the inner layer 30 of the tire proper bearsdirectly against the locking-ring and as the latter is suitablyinflated, it is evident that a solid support is formed for the innerlayer or the tire pro er.

It is to e understood that the lockingrin is to be inflated through thevalve 41 an the main chamber 43that is, the tire roper is to be inflatedthrough the valve 42. oth these valves are carried by the lockingring,the latter proLecting wholly through the ring and o ening a ove theouter covering 35 thereof. t is my purpose to inflate the ring at ahigher pressure than the tire proper,

whereby the ring, through the structure hereinbefore described, acts tohold the inner layer 30 in proper posit on and at the'same timeeffectively seal the same agaihst leakage of air. In addition to thisfunction the locking-ring is also designed to serve in emergency casesas a tire proper, whereb to protect the ring should the main tire epunctured or damaged. 7o

45 represents what 1 term "guards-trips, being held between thetire-flanges 12 and 13 and the adjacent side of the outer casing 27 ofthe tire proper. The faces of these stri s adjacent the tire arecorrugated to grip t e layer 27 and are designed to be secured to theflanges 12 and 13 in any desired manner such, for examgle, as cementing.It may be found desira le to wholly dispense wit these strips and tocorrugate or roughen the inner faces of the flanges 12 and 13, wherebyto effect the-same result. The flanges are designed primarily to preventcree ing of the tire in the rim-flan es and ena le me to wholly dispensewith t e usual nuts and bolts for this purpose. The guard-stripsareef-ifective throughout their length, while "the, usual bolt is ofcourse effective only atits point of application. 7

The locking-ring is of peculiar scctional gds shape, the chamber40'therein being practi cally oval, whereby the force of the containedair under pressure operates most effectively i to seal the joint betweenthe lockin -ring and inner layer of the tire proper andit so to lock -95 said inner ring by the "pressure exerted b the wires '37. The upperortion of the loc gring is thickened, as s own in Fi 3 and 6, so as toresist the tendency of t e lockin rin to assume a circular form wheninflate The broad tread at the base of the fabric layer 29 is veryeffective as a support in the use of the tire. The tread-surface of thecase 27 is formed centrally with a circumferential depression 46, thepurpose of which is to thicken said tread -surface at the points marked47, whereby the life of the tire is greatly prolonged, as it has beenfound in practice that the greatest wear of the treadsurface falls uponthe points 47 both in rounding curves and when the tire strikes anobstruction and is deflected to one side or the other.

The im roved tire of this invention may be assemble in a number ofdifferent ways. One convenient way is to place the lockingring 34 uponthe sup lemental rim 3, fit the outer case 27 aroun said locking-ring,and then pply the angular tire-flanges 12 13 to hold the various partsof the tire securely in assembled position.

It will be observed that the tire-flanges 12 13 are slotted adjacent tothe brackets 2, so that said flanges may be removed and relaced withoutthe necessity of removing the rackets 2.

Changes inthe recise embodiment of invention illustrate and describedmay be made Within the sec e of the following claims without departingrom the spirit of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is 1. Thecombination with a wheel-rim, of a supplemental rim formed with grooves,tireflanges having grooves therein registering with the grooves in thesupplemental rim, a split ring in each pair of registering grooves, eachs lit ring having lateral projections on its en s, cylindrical elementshaving camgrooves therein to receive the lateral projections of saidsplit rings, and means for rotating and locking said cylindricalelements.

2. The combination with a wheel-rim, of a supplemental rim formed withgrooves and slots, angular tire-flanges formed with slots, and havinggrooves therein registering with the grooves 111 the supplemental rim, asplit ring in each pair of registering grooves, each split ring havinglateral projections on its ends, cylindrical elements having camgroovestherein to receive the lateral projec tions on the split rings, each ofsaid cylindrical elements having a removable handle,

sliding locking members on the wheel-rim to lock the cylindricalelements, and brackets u on the wheel-rim fitting into the slots of tesup leinental rim and angulartire-flanges.

3. T e combination with a l186li'lll'l, of a supplemental rim formedwith grooves and inclined faces, tire-flanges fitted upon said inclinedfaces, and having grooves therein registering with the grooves of thesupplemental rim, a split rin in each pair of re 'stering grooves, eachsp it ring havin latera rojeetions on its ends, cylindrical e ementsliavin canigrooves therein to receive the latera projections on thesplit rings, means for rotatmg and locking said cylindrical elements, atire-case having its ends fitted between the tire-flanges, said endshaving internal enlargements, and a locking-rin located between the endsof said case, said lockin -ring having wings fitted over the internal enargoments of the case.

4. The combination with a wheel-rim, of a tire supported thereby, meansinteriorly of the tire to lock the same to the rim and guardstripsinterposed between the rim and the tire, said guard-strips being securedto the rim, and roughened on their faces adjacent the tire.

5. The combination with a wheel-rim, of a tire thereon, and a.locking-ring for securing the tire in position, said locking-ring havingan air-chamber approximately ellipticai in cross-section and beingthickened on one side of said air-chamber for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT A. HARRIS.

Witnesses:

V. S. GRIFFITH, Geo. G. BRoNsON.

